15 fabulous pictures as the Hepworth Wakefield celebrates 15th birthday with party and new market

The Wakefield gallery hosted a huge party for staff, art lovers and the local community last Friday (May 22) to celebrate their 15th birthday.

The event featured the opening of new exhibitions, street food stalls, ‘birthday beer’ from Lost Cause Brewing Co., and live entertainment.

It also saw the launch of the brand new Hepworth Makefield Market at Tileyard North.

The market, which took place throughout the weekend, showcased over 65 independent makers from across Yorkshire and will become a recurring event.

The Hepworth Wakefield officially opened on May 21, 2011 to international acclaim.

It houses the largest collection of Barbara Hepworth’s work and was named the Art Fund museum of the year in 2017.

Most recently, the gallery announced its two new co-directors, Olivia Colling and Laura Smith.

Olivia Colling, executive director at The Hepworth Wakefield said: “Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate 15 years of The Hepworth Wakefield and the creative scene across the Yorkshire region.

"It was wonderful to see so many people of all generations coming together to enjoy art, craft, music and good food and drink.

"It was the cherry on the cake that perfect summer weather also turned up to help make the festivities a success.

"We're now looking forward to our next 15 years and how we can continue to bring the very best art to Wakefield for people to enjoy for free on their doorstep, while growing brand Wakefield internationally to reinforce the reputation of our district as a visitor destination with outstanding cultural assets to support economic growth.”